Kendrick Lamar has escalated his feud with Drake through the release of the highly anticipated video for “Not Like Us,” a popular diss track aimed at the Canadian rapper.
The video begins with a snippet of unreleased music, possibly from Lamar’s upcoming album, before transitioning into the song with a reference to “The Sixth Sense.”
The video features several symbolic digs at Drake, including the destruction of an owl piñata—a nod to Drake’s OVO Sound label—and ends with Lamar standing menacingly in front of a caged barn owl.The video also includes a cameo by NBA star Demar Derozan, once a player for Drake’s beloved Toronto Raptors, further taunting the Canadian musician.
Lamar addresses and dispels two allegations made by Drake: that Lamar’s collaborator Dave Free fathered one of Lamar’s children, and that Lamar was abusive towards his fiancée Whitney Alford.
The video credits reveal it was directed by both Free and Lamar, and it shows Alford happily dancing with Lamar and their children, countering Drake’s claims.
The feud reignited after J. Cole referred to himself, Lamar, and Drake as the “big three” of contemporary hip-hop, to which Lamar responded dismissively.
Despite several back-and-forth insults and songs, Drake’s final attempt with “The Heart Part 6” seemed to falter as he deleted a promotional post soon after its release, which some fans saw as a sign of defeat.
Lamar’s dominance was further underscored by his performance of “Not Like Us” five times consecutively at his Juneteenth show, solidifying his upper hand in the rivalry.
